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Comic-Con gets even bigger and geekier for 2013

05:00 AM, Jul 17, 2013

'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' brings the world of superheros to ABC this fall. Expect to hear much more about it at this year's San Diego Comic-Con.
Bob D'Amico, ABC/

Written Byby Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

“I’m always ready for Comic-Con!”

That could be any number of fanboys heading to San Diego this week for the annual pop-culture extravaganza. It just so happens that this particular fanboy is Vin Diesel, a longtime Dungeons & Dragons geek who also happens to be the face of the uber-popular Fast & Furious movie franchise.

No one’s going to give him a wedgie, however.

More than 125,000 pop-culture devotees are expected to invade the San Diego Convention Center  many costumed and transformed into their favorite characters  to let their nerd flags fly for the hottest upcoming movies, TV shows, comic books and much more. The event, whose origins date to 1970, runs Thursday to Sunday.

Comic-Con’s popularity still takes some by surprise, including Aaron Eckhart. “I went there for Battle: Los Angeles (in 2010), and I didn’t have any idea that people were so fervently into their films, and there were whole families in costumes,” says the actor, who this year will present footage from his I, Frankenstein(out Jan. 24).

But geeking out with like-minded folks is the best part for Diesel, who’s there for the first time in more than a decade with his film Riddick (Sept. 6). “You are connecting with true fanboys, and you are speaking to that core audience.”

Comic-Con’s growing prominence allows it to attract huge celebrities  and we don’t just mean Godzilla, though the monster will be there with a new movie, too. A-listers Hugh Jackman of The Wolverine (July 26) and Sandra Bullock of the sci-fi drama Gravity (Oct. 4) will be on hand for their movies. Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green and Rodrigo Santoro will tout 300: Rise of an Empire (due in March). Joss Whedon, the unofficial king of Comic-Con, brings the new show Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which takes the world of superhero films to HDTV this fall. And The X-Files stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are back together for a special 20th-anniversary reunion panel.

Even the heavy-metal rock gods of Metallica will be there to promote their movie Metallica Through the Never (Sept. 27) and play a secret show. Maybe that’s the real revenge of the nerds  if Metallica shows up at your party, you’re really cool.

The best part for many is the surprise appearances. Marvel Studios is famous for pulling superhero rabbits out of its hat. At the 2010 gathering, the entire cast of The Avengers assembled on a stage for the first time. With a panel for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Nov. 22) on tap, one could fathom a visit from newly minted Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, or perhaps Bullock’s Gravity co-star George Clooney. Like many attendees, he put on a Batman costume once.

Some, such as British director Edgar Wright  who’s doing a panel for his comedy The World’s End (Aug. 23) and hosting a fan screening in town  go all out because Comic-Con simply means a lot to them, too.

“It’s why studios go there with films,” Wright says.”It’s actually a way for filmmakers to intersect with fans that you can’t in other situations.”